A train is about to go off the rails, and one Maple Ridge carpenter has asked people to “expect the unexpected.”
What local resident Elliot Morrison is referring to here is a crime fiction story being presented on stage in Langley by Theatre in the Country (TIC).
The story, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ written in 1934, is the creation of Agatha Christie, a writer well-known for murder mystery detective stories. Later the story was adapted for the stage by playwright Ken Ludwig and is now being presented in Langley as part of a dinner theatre show, which runs until Sept 24.
With a train full of remarkable suspects and an alibi for each one, the story follows the journey of detective Hercule Poirot, who attempts to solve the case. Reg Parks, artistic director at TIC, said Murder on the Orient Express is a fun, fast-paced re-telling of one of Agatha Christie’s most loved murder mysteries.
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Comic, thrilling, fun and with all the twists and turns, this Christie tale is “timeless and exhilarating,” said Parks.
Morrison, who volunteered as the head set-builder, described the project as a “great community effort.”
“Lots of of volunteers helped us put together the set, props, and lighting,” he shared.
One of the 40 volunteers who have helped bring the story to the stage is Morrison’s daughter. Working backstage, she helped her dad with props and other tasks.
A long-time passionate carpenter in the Maple Ridge community, Morrison started learning carpentry at age three.
Like his daughter, Morrison, too did theatre in high school. A father of two, Morrison got involved with TIC through his kids’ school – Maple Ridge Christian School, where Parks works as a drama teacher.
The duo soon started working together. He has been helping Parks with TIC shows for 12 years.
“It is a fabulous opportunity. It is a creative outlet for me and it has been so much fun so far,” he concluded. Murder on the Orient Express marks the fourth show in the 2022 season of TIC.
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The Langley-based theatre is celebrating its 10th year of operation and is welcoming audiences back to live shows.
“The response has been amazing and heart warming,” said Parks. “People have flooded back to live theatre with enthusiasm. It has been such fun to see actors back at their craft and patrons enjoying the shared experience once again,” he continued.
The dinner theatre show runs until Saturday, Sept 24, at 5708 Glover Road, Langley. Tickets range between $35 and $68. Show-only tickets are also available at www.theatreinthecountry.com.
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